Jupiter has more oxygen than our Sun: NASA, university study
Scientists from the University of Chicago and NASA just found that Jupiter actually hides 1-1.5 times more oxygen than our Sun, flipping what we thought we knew about the giant planet.
They also suggest Jupiter's carbon-to-oxygen ratio may be nearly three times higher than the Sun's, a result that hints Jupiter may have formed in a region rich in carbon-based solids.
How the team got to their results
The team used advanced computer models and data from NASA's Juno and Galileo missions. A key chemical reaction (the Hidaka reaction) helped them get accurate results.
Lead researcher Jeehyun Yang said their work could help resolve the long-standing debate about what Jupiter is made of, showing that gasses there mix much slower than scientists used to think.
What this means for gas giants and our solar system
Turns out, Jupiter probably grabbed a ton of ice way back when it formed beyond the "snow line."
This changes how scientists think about not just our solar system, but how gas giants form everywhere—giving us new clues about planets far beyond Earth.